This invention relates to a steering mechanism for an outboard motor, and more particularly to an improved steering mechanism and mounting structure for a steering handle of an outboard motor, which is highly responsive, which minimizes steering handle vibrations during operation, and which provides sufficient frictional resistance to prevent vertical swinging of the steering handle once it has been pivotally adjusted to a desired position.
As is well known, a common form of outboard motor consists of a driveshaft housing that carries a driveshaft which is driven by an internal combustion engine and which drives a propeller for propelling an associated watercraft through the water. The driveshaft housing normally has a steering shaft affixed to it that is journaled within a swivel bracket for steering movement about a generally vertically extending steering axis. The swivel bracket is, in turn, pivotally connected to the transom of the watercraft for tilting and trimming movement of the driveshaft housing about a generally horizontally extending axis.
In order to effect steering of the watercraft, a steering handle is affixed at one end to a steering bracket which, in turn, is mounted to the driveshaft housing so that an operator may steer the outboard motor from within the watercraft by moving the other end of the steering handle from side to side. It has also been the practice with some outboard motors to mount the steering handle on the steering bracket for pivotal movement about a generally horizontally extending axis so as to permit vertical adjustment. With prior constructions of this type, the steering handle is mounted indirectly to the steering bracket through an elastic member which is interposed between the steering bracket and handle so that the vibration from the engine is not transmitted to the steering handle and so that the steering handle may be maintained at a desired vertical position by frictional resistance after it is pivoted up or down. Although such an arrangement has certain advantages, it also has certain disadvantages associated with it as well. For example, since there is no area of rigid contact between the steering handle and bracket, the force exerted on the steering handle in steering the watercraft is transmitted to the steering bracket through the elastic member. As a result, the steering handle is likely to exhibit some "play" during steering of the watercraft which reduces the responsiveness of the steering operation. Also, under some conditions, repeated steering movement tends to wear the elastic member. This wear may reduce the effectiveness of the steering mechanism and may render the insulator member unable to prevent vibration transmission from the engine to the handle.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to eliminate or reduce the above disadvantages.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a steering mechanism and mounting structure for an outboard motor which is highly responsive to the operator's steering movements but wherein steering handle vibration is minimized.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a highly responsive steering mechanism and mounting structure for an outboard motor which permits pivotal vertical adjustment of the steering handle but which provides sufficient frictional resistance against inadvertent vertical swinging of steering handle once the handle has been adjusted to a desired position.